Wilkinson School Intensive Studies Trips Wiki
Welcome to the Wilkinson School Intensive Studies Trips Wiki The Intensive Studies Trip is a yearly learning experience that the students of Wilkinson School go on to different parts of the United States and beyond. The trip is basically a five-year cycle, including the Revolutionary War, Civil War to Civil Rights, the American Southwest, ancient cultures on the Yucatan Peninsula, and Old World Heritage which has been a trip to the British Isles or the Northwest Coast depending ont he year. While on the trips the students and parents visit sites and enjoy one-of-a-king experiences planned and led by our masterful guide, Mr. Woo! Every year is an adventure, so if you ever have a chance to go, don't miss out! 2012 - The Land of Enchantment Hoohoogam Ki Museum Our very first stop during the trip was at the Hoohoogam Ki Museum. Splitting up into two groups, we were guided through the outside and inside sections of the museum. Inside the building, we were show ancient pottery, baskets, paintings, and various other forms of artwork that were donated to the museum. Ranging from a guitar decorated wth numbers from the Pima language to modern-style paintings of ancient relics, this museum had a lot to offer on the inside. Outside the museum, we were shown the straw and grass homes that the Pima indians lived in, the stoves that they would cook over, and the basic setup of their living space. We also learned about the various plants and animals theyrelied on in order to survive, including the mesquite tree, or, as they used to call it, 'The Tree of Life.' Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. We're very lucky to have gotten to stop by this museum and take in the knowledge it had to offer! -Tessa Salt River Fields Stephen On the second day of the IS trip one of the stops was the "Salt River Fields". What we saw while we were there was we went into the Executive Offices. Then it was down into the clubhouse. Then we went over to the training room, in the training we saw the weigh that they lifted. Ansd the windows that are on the outside open all the way to have more training space. And right after you walk trought the clubhouse booth to watch the recap of the game. There are 4 camerrams on the fields tp record the game. Then we down on to the field. When we got to the gate to go on to the field. If you turn left you would be in the "Bull Pen" for the Rockies. And if you go to the gate and you turn right there would a bench for the reliving picher to sit and watch the game and not to get hit by flying baseballs. Then down in the dugout there are not many things. The only things there are bench and the bathroom, everything else you had to run down into the clubhouse. Then up in the "Press Box". There are too levels you can sit in. Heard Museum The Heard Museum, located in Phoenix, Arizona, focuses on the history and art of the southwestern Native Americans. There were many exhibits, some about things like Hopi Katsina dolls, the beautiful jewelry of the Navajo, and the large trade routes of the Hohokam. It seemed like the mission of the Heard Museum was to go beyond the individuals and events that have stereotyped the Native Americans into violent, warring barbarians of Wild West Cowboy vs. Indian movies, and teach about their rich culture and strong spirituality, as well as the many challenges they have faced and how that has changed them. They certainly suceeded. There was a huge mural on the walls of a room in the museum which showed in a very artistic way the many hardships of the 21 federally recognized tribes, to whom the room was dedicated. It portrayed many challenges the Native Americans faced throughout history, like the boarding schools the children were forced to attend, Kit Carson, who uprooted the Navajo from their homelands and sent them to Bosque Redondo, and how many Native American children are losing their spirituality. This mural was the feature of the Heard Museum that I remember most. Altogether, our trip to the Heard was a wonderful learning experience that I will never forget. -Becca Grand Canyon Railroad Written by: Jack Hebb Instead of just being a mode of transportation, the Grand Canyon Railway actually has a history for itself. It was built in 1901 and had been used heavily until the automobile became a popular phenominon. Then, with only 2 passengers on the last shuttle, in the 60's, it closed until recently, in the late 80's, when one couple invested upwards 15 Million Dollars to have the Railway revamped and brought back to life. Today, many people use it as a nice peacful way to move from one location to another, if you do visit, watch out for robbers and wonderful music men. The conductor claims you can see the Grand Canyon from the train, well, you can, but only for about 1.38 seconds, so keep your eyes peeled and enjoy the deer, groundhogs and other wildlife along the peaceful rail track that is and always will be The Grand Canyon Railway. Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Natuaral World Wonders, is self explanitory it's a canyon that's been around for millions of years. Apon our arrival it was clear to everyone that the canyon was truly breath taking. Going as deep as 6000 feet over a mile and miles across and miles wide. Our tour guide Amala Posey grave as a little educational hike at the edge for some miles teaching USA important lessons. It's clear that DUDE stuck the most, which stands for deposit, uplift, downcut and erosion and she Evan fought us a little dance to go with it. Ale there we saw some native American cultural songs and dances by Navajo members outside of the Hopi building which featured beanard and Francis's jewelry. Hopi During our journey into the Southwest this year, we were accompanied by our Hopi friends, Bennard and Frances Dallasvuyaoma, who guided us along the way and into their native Hopi lands. We had the pleasure of traveling through not only First Mesa, but the Second and Third Mesas, and during our journey got to visit the ancient, now deserted, village of Walpi on First Mesa. The place itself is quite fascinating, as you can walk through the village walls and see the ancient architecture. You'd be surprised how similair it is to San Francisco, with all their homes built on top of and right next to one another. Very few photos can be found of this mesa, as it conflicts with the courtesy and rules provided by the Hopi people who live there, but we were able to enjoy homemade Piki Bread, a traditional blue corn thin bread rolled together into a bundle. Yum! And the tasting of new foods didn't end there... Because of the ties our guides have to their culture, we were able to enjoy a homemade Hopi and Korean meal on Second Mesa provided by members of Frances' family. What an incredible experience we were able to have at Hopi! Four Corners We have the opertunity to go on an intensive studies trip. We go to the Southwest,Northeast,Deep South, Yucatan,and the Early America. We do a bunch of things like this one the Four Corners is the point of intersection of 4 different states: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. It is the only point in the United States shared by 4 states. There is only 1 way to get to the Four Corners. It is a unique landmark. You can stand in 4 states at one time. It is in the middle of nowhere. The Four Corners is very cool if you have not been there. It is located in the desert on the Navajo Indian Reservation. The Four Corners is about 2 hours from Mesa Verde. Seeing the 4 states at once is pritty cool becuase in the whole united states those are the only ones that touch. People think that the 4 cornors is some where else like right next to it but not in that spot. Being there just one in a life time kinda thing becuase it is to far. Lots of pepole take pictures or try to do something that has never been done before at the 4 cornors. To me lerning a whole bunch of things helps me when ever we go on trips like the southwest and other places. When i saw the 4 cornors i thought that i would not be in 4 states at once i thought i was in 3 states at once it was kanda weird being somewhere you have not been. Learning about things before hand jest gives it away only learning a tiny bit of it and when you go there you will learn more. It is a fun and a learning experance. Mesa Verde Ryan Schneider Colorado is home to Mesa Verde one of the oldest national parks in North America. It was home to the cliff dwellers aka the Anasazi indians. Mesa Verde is built on a mesa or plateau. It was home to about 900 to 1500 indians. In 550 AD, the Anasazi indians began living on top of the mesas. Six hundred years later, they started carving their homes into the side of the mesa. There were more add-ons over time. They put in a wall that protects them from enemies. The Balcony House was built as a major multi-family cliff palace. They also built Spruce Tree House, another home. Don’t forget the biggest one of all, Cliff Palace. These were among the many multi-family cliff dwellings. As the place got bigger the indians got more advanced. The Anasazi indians were a very smart tribe even before places like Mesa Verde. They were just the same as other tribes. Most archeologists think that the Puebloans were the closest relatives to the Anasazi. The puebloans were basket weavers, most of the baskets were black and white. Around 1200 AD, the indians built Mesa Verde. Over time the Anasazi tribe culture got increasingly advanced, but around 1300 the place was abandoned. Something like twenty four years of low rainfall and an increasing amount of raids wiped out all of the indians that were there. In 1200 AD Mesa Verde was built, but before they came to the mesa, they were nomadic people so they moved around a lot. Textiles and pottery were being made, and rituals were performed. About a hundred years after Mesa Verde was built, the population was gone because of a major drought and very violent raids. We don’t know what the Anasazi originally called it, but the Spanish explorers that came to the area, called it Mesa Verde, which means “green table.” They called it this because the area was noted for its junipers and pines. In 1859, Mesa Verde was rediscovered by white settlers and cowboys that called them the cliff dwellings. That’s when archaeologists started to excavate the place. They wanted to look for who lived here. Later in 1906 it was declared a national park. When I went to Mesa Verde I was shocked at what I saw I’ve seen pictures but we all know that there is nothing like the real thing. Taos Pueblo Tati Taos Pueblo is an amazing historical sight to visit. It's located in northern New Mexico where people still live today.There is a river called Red Willow River that comes down from the Blue Lake. That river provides the water that they use, also they check if the water is not clean, so it's really good water. In Taos Pueblo they have a cathlic church with awsome colors that explode. It's been inhabited for over 1000 years and it still stands today. Their houses are made out of adobe, now and then they repair the building so they don't crumble. Shops are in the Taos Pueblo so you could get crafts and food. Taos Pueblo is a good place to visit if you go to New Mexico. Hacienda de los Martinez Diana La Hacienda De Los Martinez was used for trading posted and it was important for them to trade stuff. Severino Martinez was the person how built the hacienda. It has 21 rooms and to placitas.It was made out of clay,mud, same sand, and they also used straw and it was called adobe. There was no windows or opening walks,there was only two doors to get in and to get out. those doors are called ZAGUAN doors. The placita is a courtyard, there are two placitas and there are in the middle. The spanish people named it placita. the placita has a big space in the middle . There is only one room with wooden floor, and it was used for spanish partys, it was also used for special meetings. Other Stuff When we went to go visit the Hacienda we took a tour and looked around and even took pictures.They trade sheep herd and some wooden articles and some there stuff. Also the hacienda was the final timinus of El Camino Real th cone royal road which connected northern New Mexcio to Mexico City. The hacienda also was the headquarters of ranching and farming too. We also did some art and i did the lady gaudalupe for my grandma. You many also get to meet the artists. They even show you arts and carfs. Museum of Native American Art Even though these baskets weren't the most easiest thing to make, it was still a lot of fun to go through the process of weaving baskets. The lady that helped us make these baskets, gave out 8 reeds to every single person. 4 of the reeds were one size, and the other 4 were a different size. We soaked these reeds in a bucket of water for about 15-20 minutes. We soaked them because it would be easier to bend, and harder for it to break in half. While they were soaking, our tour guide took us to go see some of the baskets they had in the muesum. They had all different types of baskets, different size, different color, different design. They used baskets for various reasons, to carry things, to hold water in them, etc. After seeing all the baskets and seeing an idea of what they looked like, we started to weave. "Over and under," was the phrase we had to remember because that's all we were doing through this process. Holding the reeds into place was very hard and frustrating. But after some time, asking a lot of questions, and hearing kids complain about how they couldn't do it, some of the students had finally made there baskets or... hats. But at the end of the day this experience was a lot of fun. Georgia O'Keeffe Museum Liz Georgia O'keeffe was one of the most famous female artists. Georgia O'Keeffe was mostly famous for painting skyscrapers, flowers,and sun-baked animal skulls.She painted all over the place in New York and Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was born on November 15,1887, in Sun Prairie Wisconsin. When she was in Taos it inspired her to paint new landscapes,architeture and new skies and new colors to use. In the summer of 1930 Georgia O'Keeffe started collecting sun-baked animal skulls so she can paint them. she hiked for miles every day and drove everywhere to see the landscapes, she was inspired by the mountains, mesas and colors that she painted. Georgia O'Keeffe's husband Alfred Stieglitz was a great artist and a great photographor. Rail Runner Train Grady On a trip from santa fe to ABQ, some of us took a train. It was called the railrunner. It was all gray with a yellow and red road runner design on it. We borded the train at around 6:40 at the santa fe depot. There were a bunch of tracks all leading into one. There were three levels on the train. I was on the top level with some of my friends. We played card games like ocho pinocchio. I liked showing every body the sound the doors make when they close after departing from a station. It sounds like the road runner from lunny tunes. Meep Meep. The train went very slow but I liked it that way because we had more time to spend on it. I think the reason it went so slow is because the train was mainly on one track but when it was on two tracks it had to wait for an other train to pass before it went back onto single track. The rail runner stoped at many stations like kewa pueblo and south capital and downtown bernallio, ect. I've even heard someone say that the rail runner might go all the way up to denver. Even though it was slow and was called the rail snail and even though it costed money the rail runner ride from santa fe depot to los ranchos journal center was definitely worth it. Gathering of Nations Powwow (Content provided by Matthew Dupree) The Gathering of Nations Powwow is a big, boystrous celebration of the Native American culture and heritage. It happens yearly somewhere in or around Albuquerque, and lasts for three days! It is full of dances, ceremonies, and loud boistrous fun! A large market also provides a lot of income for the Native American peoples of the area, and the center auditorium is a big balloon of crazy awesome dancing! My experience at the Powwow was one of sound, lights, and an eagle. Our group entered through the south entrance, and took their seats in the Z section. I sat for most of our time there watching the loud dancing and flashy opening ceremony, but also got a few chances to go out to the market. At the market there was someone letting people take pictures of his pet eagle. A pet eagle! Suffice to say I had a LOT of fun. Acoma Pueblo -Jason.Economopoulos Acoma pueblo is one of the oldest occupied pueblo's in the southwest. When we went there it was a magnificiant! It was my second time visiting Acoma. I went there five years ago and i remembered a lot of it. Our tour guide was Dakota Chino. He was awesome! He showed us around the pueblo showing us how they lived back in the day. He seeemed to know all the people that lived in Acoma. The town square Was really big for a pueblo. It had three story buildings which was massive. You could by pottery from the people in the town. I bought a cherry pie from a woman and it was delicious. At the end he took us to the church which was the biggest structure in the pueblo. The Spanish forced the Acoma people to build the church and imported wood and paintings from Spain. It was a great experience i'm planning to go back there in the future if i can Chaco Canyon David/Luis (Luis) At Chaco Canyon, I saw a chipmunk. (David) Chaco Canyon has some of the biggest buildings in North America. In fact, they were the biggest buildings in North America until the 19th century. The buildings were probably aligned along astronomically-relevant lines, with evidence ranging from a north-south axis to the Sun Dagger. The people at Chaco Canyon probably used the place for worship, because there were lots of huge kivas. The complexes were as tall as four storeys high, and as big as around 100 rooms. Evidence for archaeoastronomy has been given, such as the north-south and east-west axes and especially the Sun Dagger petroglyph at Fajada Butte. The spiral used to be illuminated at noon by a dagger of light on summer solstice, but due to the settling of the slabs this no longer happens. There were other changes indicated by the Sun Dagger, but these are obscure, and as such, I will not mention them. (Luis) On our way to Chaco Canyon, we stopped at a Subway and there was only one person working, which meant it was really crowded. Then we got back on the bus and when we were halfway there, it was very bumpy because there was no road, just dirt, so if you decide to go, don't fall asleep on this road trip. When we got there, we watched a 20-minute movie which was so boring that some of the teachers almost fell asleep and some of the students did too. The biggest site we visited there was Casa Bonita. At Casa Bonita, they have the biggest kiva in the southwest. You should go; it was fun and it was a great experience. San Felipe Feast Day Festival Natalie when we first arrived at the San Felipe Feast Day festival there were people dancing in place in a circle with hats made out of leaves and also braclets made out of leaves. The guys had no shirts on so they put brown mud on thier back and the women put it on thier face. They all had dry corn in each hand all diffrent colors. This dance was a very spiritual dance that men and women and also children can perform. Its the main dance on feast day witch was the main dance of the whole ceramony. they also had lots of ices because it was very dry and hot out there and u were outside for most of the time. The thing that really got me were that people would just invite you into there homes without any care in the world and let you eat as much as you want and that shows who those people are in persanality whise and just beging a nice helpful considerit person and i thought it was really nice to just let trangers into your home thats the thing that really suprised me. I heard alot of thier food was really spicy but really good if you like spicey. they had beans,corn,chille,fried bread,oven bread,corn baked crispy bread, all mostly made inside of the homes but they mostly had popcorn, hotdogs and ices outside. The feast days are mainly to bring everyone together. San Felipe Feast Days are located along the banks of Rio Grand and about half an hour north of Albuquerque and 45 minutes south of Santa Fe. IST West Coast Stanford Nacxely When we went to Stanford we visited alot of different Native American art. We also saw alot of historic paintings made by famous artist. When you are at Stanford it is really big i was so surprised of how big it was. Also when you are entering a room you can see that all of the paintings are really special and in some other museums they dont have any of that art. When we went there our guides showed us alot of different paintings and there history in why they were painted. One of the things our guide showed us were todempoles and why they were used in Native American tribes. 'Our guides also showed us alot of artifacts. It is located between San Fransico and San Jose in the heart of Silicon Valley. Stanford opened in 1891. When you get there you can see many people are also there to experience in learning about famous paintings or artifacts. ' Visitors Details Markegard Farm Zara When we went to the Markegard Farm, there were a lot of animals. There were chickens, sheep, alpacas, pigs, cows, and even frogs! There were lots of things to do at the farm. First, we took the newly made chicken eggs out from underneath the chickens. That part was kind of scary because I was afraid if one of the chickens was going to peck off my fingers! Next, we tried to catch frogs. Raven and I found a blue frog, but we let it go. All of the little kids found dead frogs and were picking them up with a stick. Then she took Nacxely, Raven, and I to go feed the cows hay (that probably wasn't a smart idea because I am allergic to hay). Next we went to milk the cows and feed the pigs. I first milked the cow. Her name was Daisy. It felt ''really ''weird to milk her. It was very warm and squishy. Disgusting. The lady who was with us said I was a natural and should go over there every morning at five am and help! After that, I went to feed the pigs. It smelt SO GROSS in there. I felt like I was about to pass out! Finally, we went back and ate lunch. She gave some extra time to play after lunch. But we left early because some of the kids were getting anxious. But overall I had a wonderful time there. 2011 - Civil War to Civil Rights Our trip to the deep south. IMG_2888.JPG|Emerald Mound IMG_2897.JPG|Longwood Plantation IMG_2863.JPG|Rural Life Museum Category:Browse